KILLER CALICO? SCHOOL JOINS BID TO KEEP CATS INSIDE.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

NEWHALL - A nationwide environmentalist effort to keep pet cats indoors won the endorsement Monday of Town and Country Farm School in rural Placerita Canyon, a picturesque campus that teaches a love of animals.

In the past year, the school has lost nine birds - from pigeons to peacocks - to neighborhood cats, Lad Lengyel, one of the co-owners said. On Monday, school staff members returned from the weekend to find the school's remaining peacock dead.

The drive behind the cat campaign is actually to keep the pets from preying on wild animals, particularly the endangered ones such as those that make their homes in Santa Clarita's dry riverbeds.

But at Town and Country, the goal is to prevent toddlers from the horrors left behind when a playful cat gets hold of a bird, Lengyel said.

``We have lost peacocks and peahens, ducks, chickens and pigeons in our schoolyard,'' Lengyel said. ``We find these birds chewed up. Our yard is very well-fenced, but cats can climb a phone pole and jump over.''

One large calico cat in the area seems to be the culprit, but efforts to keep it off the school grounds have failed, he said. Setting a humane trap proved a waste of time.

``It doesn't work,'' he said. ``Why would they go in a trap to eat a piece of something that's been sitting there when they can get something fresh?''

Santa Clarita city officials said the city can limit the number of pets people keep, but can't order residents to keep their cats inside.

Teresa Savaikie, a member of the conservation committee of the San Fernando Valley chapter of the Audubon Society, recommends that homeowners associations set rules to keep cats indoors to protect sensitive habitats.

At Town and Country, Lengyel said he has pleaded with neighbors to keep cats off his property, but the pets have minds of their own.

``Generally, cats are nice, but they're hard to control,'' he said. ``I'm not against them, but as the areas grows, cats should be kept inside.''

The 25-year-old school has up to 180 children in day care, preschool and after-school programs. One big draw for parents and children alike is the animals.

``Animals are a big part of the program,'' Lengyel said. ``We've had them since day one.''

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(color) Lad Lengyel, co-owner of Town and Country Farm School, has been losing birds this past year to neighborhood cats.

Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News